Asnaketch and Ketema

Azmari is a centuries-old Ethiopian minstrel tradition centered on witty, improvisatory song-poetry performed in tej (honey-wine) houses and community gatherings. Azmaris typically accompany themselves on the masenqo (a one-string bowed lute) or the krar (a 5–6 string bowl lyre), with handclaps, kebero drums, and audience participation. The melodic language draws on Ethiopia’s pentatonic qenet modal system (such as tizita, bati, ambassel, and anchihoye), and performances often feature call-and-response, dance (including eskista shoulder dance), and sharp social commentary. Lyrically, azmari art is famed for sem-ena-werq (“wax and gold”)—double-entendre poetry that balances humor, praise, satire, and coded critique—making it both entertainment and a living vehicle for oral history and public discourse.